Is this the New Toronto FC Logo for 2013?

Major League Soccer team Toronto FC has registered a new logo with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

The new logo was registered on June 20, 2012 by MLS Canada LP, which is the same group to have registered trademarks for Toronto FC in the past as well as for other Canadian MLS clubs the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.

What you’re seeing above is a colourized version of the logo that was registered. The team registered a black and white version of the mark so we took our best stab at how it would likely be coloured. It is possible we were wrong in a few places.

Old vs New? TFC logo since 2007 on the left, is the one on the right replacing it for 2013?

The newly registered logo features the clubs initials “TFC” inside a circle with the full team name surrounding above and below it. The club motto “All For One” and the establishment date is included on either side of the center circle.

It’s not clear if this graphic will be the new Toronto FC primary logo for the 2013 season, or be used as an alternate or secondary logo in future years, but it is remarkably similar in design to that of the brand-new Toronto FC Academy logo, unveiled just this past month.

Similar Designs: The recently unveiled TFC Academy logo next to the recently registered Toronto FC logo

Another interesting bit with this registration is that this and other registrations made around the same time, all identified the team as “Toronto Football Club”, whereas every previous registration in Canada and the United States the team was identified as “Toronto FC”. Looking at the new Academy logo and the other TFC logo registered you can see there is a much heavier emphasis on the full name of the team.

So if this is indeed the new look, what do you think? Is this a step in the right direction or a step back in terms of the branding of the club?

Personally, I love the TFC Academy logo and the use of the hawk holding the sword and soccer ball, the shield is also a massive upgrade over the current TFC primary logo. I’m hoping what I’ve discovered is simply an alternate logo which will be used to compliment a logo featuring that hawk next season.

If this is the new logo, the immediate “Pros” in my eyes are the lack of a maple leaf, it’s unnecessary especially in a league where all clubs wear their nations flag on their jerseys, it’s a cleaner logo than the one we’ve seen the last 5 years, and I like the newly designed “TFC” abbreviation in the centre of the logo.

The Cons? Looks rather plain, the repeating of the team name up-side-down at the bottom seems like it doesn’t need to be there, and it really pales in comparison to their own Academy logo.

How will the logo look on the jerseys you ask? Well let’s play Photoshop…

First, the straight up circular logo that the club registered:

But what I’m really hoping for is this…

Now that’s seven kinds of awesome right there.

We’ll await word from Toronto FC about how this logo fits in with their future plans, as always we’ll keep you updated with anything else we hear from here on out.

UPDATE (Aug 17/12 10:11am ET):According to a Tweet from Toronto FC Community Manager Asif Hossain (@asifintoronto) the logo had been used in the past as a design element in a torontofc.ca website graphic during a previous season, when asked why a registration just took place now he replied suggesting it was likely just to register several graphics at the same time. He also pointed out the team recently installed “a couple of giant originals (logos) on the training ground”, therefore “probably not (changing)” when asked if the team was considering something new.

With this new information it’s looking more and more like this will be an alternate or secondary logo (phew) to be used in future seasons along with the primary logo used since 2007.

UPDATE (Aug 17/12 10:30am ET): And it’s now confirmed via an email from MLSE Director of Corporate Communication Rajani Kamath that this is indeed just a secondary trademark, used “in a subtle way” for the past season and a half but only just registered now. The current primary remains the primary.

Ugh, Myriad. I know it’s a clean font, but why do people insist on using the default Mac font? Yeesh…

William Ng

well, at least it looks like a soccer club…

Ryan Martin

Downgrade, downgrade, downgrade!

Troy Griggsby

I prefer the old one, hands down. TFC is a relatively new club, right? Why so soon?

Bryan Smalley

I see what TFC did there. Since they can’t improve the clubs’ on-field performance, then they might as well start somewhere and change their crest!

The new logo makes the current logo look that much better; however, neither crests are really that spectacular. If you have to list your club name TWICE in the logo as well as a gimmicky slogan, “All for One”, then you just know that your club has issues beyond overhauling their brand.

TFC should go back to the drawing boards and consult their supporters on how to develop a thorough identity, similar to the Timbers Army input after the drivel they initially rolled out with, so that all Torontoans can be proud of their club instead of the half-assed and bland logo approach that they are presumably going to be using in the near future.

http://www.facebook.com/wildwing64 Steven Reeves

That looks really amateurish.

Michael Jaworski

I know it’s a soccer thing, but any team that uses FC instead of a nickname is lame and uncreative. Give me Sounders, Whitecaps, or Crew any day of the week. Or the billions of other possible nouns!

Kevin Joseph

Wiz. Burn.

Anyway, what the hell? Unless it’s a fauxback crest, just… no.

http://www.facebook.com/daniel.perezdealba Daniel Pérez de Alba

The Academy crest looks quite amazing, I also hope that a design based on that one becomes the primary

Neonix

The hawk with the shield look just amazing. But the circle one is way too plain. I also agree that the font is boring. In my own opinion, default fonts are totally out of the question for a professional design.

Jer

Actually, they have been using that logo. I’ve seen it on the video board at BMO already. I get the feeling it’s a secondary logo.

Chris Creamer

That would be good news, thanks for that

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003407193302 Yuuki

I really like your blog.. very nice coolrs & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. cheers

Matt Marczel

That circular logo would be a massive downgrade. The current logo has alot more character, and looks more professional. IMO that newly trademarked logo looks just sooooo bland, boring, and amaturish. I could only hope that it is an alternate logo that will only be seldomly used.

Doug

I like the academy logo. The other? Eh … downgrade in my opinion.

http://www.facebook.com/sportslogos.net SportsLogos.Net

An update to this story, Toronto FC Community Manager responds to the article via a Tweet — I’ve included it at the bottom of the article.

BoBo_Brazil

Bobo laugh. Bobo laugh loud…….

Bobo says, watch how incompetent the marketing people are in MLSE when they do ideas by themselves. Bobo says Toronto fans make them look good in first three years.

Bobo can’t believe the TFC FO is that bad and still make money. At least till October 2012, then next year we see big problems. Bobo sad cause Bobo like football in Toronto Canada.

JKLAND

Glad to hear its not a NEW logo to replace the one they have now. I dont like that it has TFC in full on top & bottom either way. They could have put the Slogan on bottom for this alt logo.

http://www.facebook.com/frank.fleming.927 Frank Fleming

I thought they were going to be relegated

http://www.facebook.com/liberal.jackson Jackson Rage

Why don’t they get a name for the damn team. The Euro crap naming like Salt Lake, Dallas and others sucks. Bring back names like the NASL and other North American sports team use! Makes for better logo designs and unis!

ingmar66

The logo with the hawk, baal and shield is allright, but the All For One slogan should be printed underneath. the circular logo is too boring, and a bold TFC in this shape is a straight ripoff from a previous logo of Toulouse FC from France. As for the name, Toronto, with its addiction to all things British, is the one town in North America that does not need a monniker like Whitecaps or Fire. Most MLS names are horrible, by the way. Better stick to euro-names like FC, United or SC (Sports Club). I mean, Columbus Crew? New York Red Bulls? Come on.

dex1lsp

Both the circular logo and the eagle logo are better than the current primary. The current primary should be scrapped in favor of one of the other two.

dex1lsp

Hawk, excuse me

Mrs.Smegma

Why do they need to repeat “Toronto Football Club”? Once would be enough. Why didn’t they put “all for One” at the bottom of the outer circle and put the “est 2007″ below the large “T” in the centre. The proposed logo is too busy.

http://www.youtube.com/user/XtremeGaming123 fiesta opium

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Haddy

I spotted this new badge being sold on scarves at the stadium. Definitely an alternate. A large portion of the supporters prefer the Academy logo over all the others. I would prefer a variation of it if a logo refresh was ever considered.